War and Peace – a Novel by Kati and Sonja

The shoe of the shoes last season and this season is definitely the Chanel Slingback. Everybody wants to have it and everybody is driving the Chanel Sales Assistants crazy. I personally did not drive them crazy -I was stalking them together with Kati (instagram profile: mekatime)!! 🙂
Some may think: „If that’s the only problem they have, they don’t have a problem!“.
I’m okay if someone thinks that but to calm those down: I do have serious problems in real life.

When I first saw the shoes my first thought was: „Uuuh they look like my granny’s shoes, nothing for me!“. Well, my first thoughts…. The more fashion magazines I was browsing through, the more I looked through instagram, the more my thoughts changed. I was overflowed with photos and the only thought left was: „I NEED THESE SHOES!”
During a business trip to Dubai I was lucky enough to get a black, flat pair and Kati was lucky enough to get a beige/gold flat pair in Paris, Avenue Montaigne. But the one with heel was sold out everywhere. We were talking about these shoes nearly every day. It is always good to have a partner in crime. Thanks Kati. What was needed was a battle plan.
So Kati tried her luck in the store in Dusseldorf and I went for a weekend to Berlin to see a friend.
Munich and Zurich which are the closest stores to my home had nothing left in stock… I think all Chanel fans made the experience when they called the store: „SORRY SOLD OUT!“ Sometimes I had the feeling that they didn’t even check…It was just easy to say SOLD OUT, because they obviously simply can.

Kati wasn’t lucky in Dusseldorf but in Berlin they showed me the slingsbacks out of the cruise collection. The nice sales assistant (she was really the first one who was friendly and very customer service orientated) told me that she was not allowed to sell them until the release day around February 9th, but she will reserve one pair for Kati and one pair for me. As soon as the shoes are released for sale we can transfer the money and they will send it.„Jackpot“. Well, things never turn out the way you expect.

In the meantime I had to go an another business trip to Dubai and checked out every Chanel store, even in Abu Dhabi… Nothing, sold out!

So the date approached and we did not hear anything from the store. The sales assistant told me that she was supposed to go on holidays but we will be contacted after she is back in the store. Again nothing happened! So around Feb. 20th I called the store and got the following message: „Sorry your reservation was cancelled and the sales assistant had a skiing accident and nobody took care about the reservations!“ Seriously?!?! Honestly?!?!
How can something like that happen at Chanel? If I am on sick leave one of my colleagues is taking over my work. I was about to freak out, because if someone had told us we could have tried in other stores. The solution would have been so simple. They see the reservations in the system, would it have been so difficult to call us and ask us whether we still want the shoes? Or just a simple message: “Please remit the money today”?? No, I don’t think so as this is customer care!
The only thing I said was: „Well, if I would do my job in the way you are handling it, I wouldn’t have a job anymore and could not afford shopping here“!

So they apologized and promised to check whether they could arrange the shoes from somewhere else. I was sitting in the office and waiting for their call… I personally called the store countless times. THE phone call came later that day informing me that they arranged one pair out of the cruise collection from another Chanel store and another pair (in black/beige) was still about to be confirmed.
A day later it was confirmed that the one out of the cruise collection was for me, as it was my size and the other pair for Kati (classic black/beige) should be coming. Should be coming… that scared me already.
Nevertheless, I booked my flight to Berlin for last week as I also had to go for a visa issue to Berlin and to be honest I did not want them to mess up again. So I decided to pick up the shoes.

The first thing I told my taxi driver was: „Please take me to the Chanel Store“! He was just smiling… When I opened the door I was really nervous. I know that sounds insane. They were already waiting for me and immediately knew what the issue was. The first thing the store manager told me: „I have both pairs“! I couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t! I was soooo happy. I immediately texted Kati who was waiting in her office for this message:-). Chanel made two girls very, very happy that day. But it was also a nerve-wracking week.
Even they messed it up the first time, they made it up again and are now for me back on a good customer care side! They apologized and I really had a good time at the store. No arrogant sales assistants, very down to earth and very open minded. That’s how I like it.
Berlin is still the best Chanel store for me thanks to their sales assistants, I think I can forgive the reservation issue, but it shouldn’t have happened anyway ;-).

When I left the store 45 minutes later the sales assistant got a big hug from me!

So HAPPY END for us.

We are human and we make mistakes… A big thank you to my partner in crime Kati!

Hope you like our shoe journey!
Kati & Sonja

Kati’s Chanel slingback and Chucky who is guarding them!Classy… nothing else to say